Business Manager - Food Broker, Bakery & Fresh Categories

Business Manager, Bakery & Fresh Categories 

Position Summary 
The key function of the Business Manager, Bakery & Fresh Categories is to achieve Affinity client and customer sales, merchandising, and category growth objectives by providing expert strategic guidance, trusted client partnership, and effective market activation at designated retail customers. 

This role serves as the primary liaison between manufacturers, retail customers, and internal Affinity teams to develop and execute sales, merchandising, category management, promotional, and product innovation initiatives within Bakery and other Fresh departments. The Business Manager utilizes fact-based selling, category insights, customer relationships, and market intelligence to identify growth opportunities, optimize assortments, execute new product introductions, and drive measurable business results for both clients and customers. 

This role partners closely with Bakery Technical Specialists and retail operations teams to support execution, merchandising excellence, product innovation, and category growth initiatives. 

Affinity Business Managers work collaboratively with Leadership, Account Managers, Retail Merchandisers, Technical Specialists, Client Service Specialists, Marketing, and customer partners to effectively mobilize and align resources in support of client and customer objectives. 

Essential Functions 

• Represent Affinity Group in an ethical, professional, and solution-oriented manner. 

• Establish and maintain strong strategic partnerships with clients, customer category managers, retail operations teams, and other key stakeholders. 

• Serve as the strategic business lead for assigned clients by aligning manufacturer objectives with retailer category strategies to drive profitable and sustainable growth. 

• Collaborate with Affinity leadership and account management to develop account-specific sales, marketing, merchandising, and category growth plans that align with client trade-funding parameters. 

• Identify and execute distribution of expansion opportunities, assortment optimization recommendations, and new item introductions. 

• Utilize syndicated data, retailer POS data, shopper insights, and market trends to identify growth opportunities and develop customer recommendations. 

• Develop and execute annual business plans aligned with client growth objectives and retailer category strategies. 

• Lead promotional planning, evaluation, and optimization efforts to maximize sales, margin, and return on trade investment. 

• Monitor retail customer promotional and merchandising activities for client and competitive brands and provide actionable recommendations. 

• Partner with Technical Specialists and retail bakery operations teams to support product evaluations, merchandising execution, operational best practices, customer initiatives, and category growth opportunities. 

• Support forecasting activities related to promotions, seasonal programs, distribution gains, and new product launches. 

• Compile and maintain timely sales volume histories, performance reporting, and customer analytics. 

• Work with Administration to maintain accurate trade funding accounts utilizing client-approved systems and designated accounting platforms. 

• Work with Account Management, Marketing, Sales Analysts, and Administration to develop and deliver customer business reviews, category reviews, and growth presentations. 

• Analyze category performance and recommend assortment, pricing, promotional, and merchandising strategies to improve results. 

• Work with Account Management and Administration to address and resolve financial and administrative issues, including deductions, pricing discrepancies, inventory concerns, and supply chain challenges. 

• Advise Affinity Leadership regarding customer trends, marketplace shifts, competitive activity, client opportunities, and emerging business risks. 

• Perform other duties as assigned. 

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Sales, Food Marketing, or a related field preferred. 

• 3-5+ years of experience in consumer-packaged goods, food brokerage, grocery retail, category management, bakery operations, or a related food industry role. 

• Experience working with Bakery, Deli, Prepared Foods, Produce, or other Fresh departments strongly preferred. 

• Experience in managing retailer relationships, promotional planning, and customer business reviews preferred. 

• Grocery store department operations, office, sales, or category management experience preferred. 

• Strong understanding of Bakery and Fresh category merchandising principles and grocery retail operations. 

• Understanding of retail bakery operations and the ability to effectively collaborate with Bakery Technical Specialists, store operations teams, and category management partners. 

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. 

• Strong knowledge of syndicated data and category management platforms, including Circana (IRI), Nielsen, retailer reporting systems, and customer analytics tools. 

• Ability to analyze data and translate insights into actionable business recommendations. 

• Experience creating and presenting customer business reviews, category growth plans, and executive-level presentations. 

• Knowledge of promotional planning, assortment management, distribution strategy, and new product introduction processes. 

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence clients, customers, and cross-functional teams. 

• Effective collaborator and contributor within a team environment. 

• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and highly accountable. 

• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, and timelines. 

• Professional presence with a customer-focused mindset and the ability to thrive in a dynamic client services and customer activation environment. 

• Reliable transportation for visits to stores, customers, clients, and other locations. 

• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds. 

• Approximately 10% overnight travel is required to perform the duties of the position. 

The Affinity Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.